Quick Facts
- The NBA and Nike are launching a subtle collab on the AF1
- The league’s iconic logo is added below the black leather heel tab, the black insoles, and in large print on the translucent outsole underfoot
- The NBA x Nike Air Force 1 Low Phantom will be released Spring 2026
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Professional sports fashion is typically tied to specific teams, but in rare instances, the leagues themselves take over the iconography in surprising and usually hilarious ways. The most iconic is obviously the NBA logo jeans from the early 2000s and the matching Eastern and Western Conference patch pants. Then, actor Rob Lowe made the NFL logo a fashion statement when he refused to pick a team at a 49ers-Packers game. After multiple NBA x Nike collabs, The Swoosh is back with another shoe dedicated to Jerry West’s silhouette.
The NBA x Nike Air Force 1 Low Phantom is a white AF1 with NBA-inspired details throughout. What first looks like a classic pair of white on whites comes into focus on the tongue, which is made of white mesh like a home jersey on an NBA court, with a black tongue logo featuring orange basketball graphics. The league’s iconic logo is added below the black leather heel tab, the black insoles, and in large print on the translucent outsole underfoot.
Nike has been the official outfitter of the NBA for nearly 10 years now, bringing a renewed focus to jersey designs that have seen their fair share of both hits and misses. Off the court, Nike SB has brought the league into the skate scene a couple of times, with team-specific follow-ups to the 2018 collection. Throughout the 2020s we’ve seen the duo team up on a slew of silhouettes, including the Blazer, Air Force 1, and Dunk Low. With an extension last year tying the brand to the league until at least 2037, expect to see more NBA Nike gear for a long time coming.
The NBA x Nike Air Force 1 Low Phantom will be released Spring 2026 through Nike and select retailers in-store and online, with retailer Sheikh already jumping the gun and dropping them online. Available in men’s sizing, the retail price is set at $130. For all the latest Nike collab news, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.
Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com
